Kaylee Boogies Down
by Qween of the Damned
Summary: Sometimes life isn't just all rainbows and strawberries, but you do what you gotta do to find your place and make your happiness... a short about Kaylee, dancing, and hairbrush singing on board Serenity.


Kaylee waved the thin disk excitedly. "I mean come _on, _Mal! You gotta admit, this is a pretty decent trade! Come on I didn't do the trade for strawberries at least!"

Captain Malcom Reynolds slowed his pace to match hers. "Well you done the deal already, why are you still bugging me about it? It was your machinery to get, if you got what you needed and then some, so be it! As long as this ship runs, I have no qualms with what else it does. Just don't play it too loudly if it's awful."

* * *

She slipped the old compact disk into the slot on the ancient compact disk player she'd found and fixed up. It was one of the miscellaneous pieces that she's acquired over the years.

First there was an uncomfortable whine from the disk as the lazer scratched it. Neither her machine nor the disk were anywhere near worth her time, but it couldn't hurt to try, and she did love old things…

And a drumming – bare hands on tribal drums, maybe, she thought. The disk hiccuped a few times and then an old rhythmic beat kicked in, along with a male vocalist. She didn't claim to be any music expert, but she knew this was what, rapping? She wondered if the artist of the music was still in the Grid's system. If they were, she would be able to access a better quality, or perhaps even a cover of the song.

She reminded herself to not break the music down too much like she did her machines, and focused on the words and beat of the song.

A soft female voice kicked in on the hook. Her voice lilted beautifully and combined with the male's as he continued th verses.

The woman came in again, crooning "_I'm officially missing you," _and Kaylee felt a small pang.

Who would have known it'd still be this painful?

She shook herself, and focused on the beat again. It was catchy, and the words weren't _too_ sad… She grinned and lifted her arms, and began her own little dance party.

* * *

Simon and Mal walked in around the 13th time the song was being played. Kaylee, Inara and River were all laughing, half dancing, half jumping around the room, Inara and Kaylee with hairbrushes in their hand, belting out the words over those of the track.

"What in the hell…" Mal began, and Kaylee spun around, cheeks going red when she saw Simon. River and Inara glanced over, but kept dancing and laughing.

"Come on, Simon, come join the dance," River said, skipping to her brother and grabbing his hands, oblivious to his protests. Malcom snorted and began turned to leave.

"Mal, don't you want to dance?" Inara cocked an eyebrow and perched a hairbrush holding hand on her hip. "Come on."

"I'm not the boogie down type," he retorted, smirk playing on his mouth. "You weren't doing too badly though. Kaylee," he said, turning to the mechanic who was still standing, watching Simon and River cavort laughingly around the room, "Go ahead and dance with him, I'm sure he's dying to."

"Mal!" Kaylee said, and he laughed as her brush grew deeper.

"Come on Mal, have a little fun and boogie down." Inara was pulling him further into the room, not bothering to comment that he wasn't resisting very much at all. Malcom grabbed Kaylee's arm as he brushed past, and shoved her, not unkindly (but not particularly gently) in Simon and River's direction. River let out a loud laugh and danced out of the way, towards the old disk player, and turned the volume up again.

It was good to let go of all the worry and stress and sadness and just…dance as if there were no more problems in the 'verse…

* * *

In the co-pilot's seat, Zoe sighed and turned off the comms, shutting off the sound of music and laughter.

"Morons," she muttered lightly to herself and punched in a code on the console. The nav system lit up as she began getting Serenity ready for their new destination.

"They really dancing down there?"

"Jayne, go join them if you want to."

"I don't want to."

"They why're you concerned with what they're doing?" Zoe turned around in her chair to face him. He was leaning against the doorway, sharpening a knife. "Stop sharpening that thing before you hurt yourself," she added.

Jayne opened his mouth as if he were about to reply, but closed it again. He grunted and turned around, and walked off to his cabin. Zoe sighed contentedly when silence returned.

_I'm officially missing you, _the words stuck with her.

"Yep, I'm sure missing you, honey." Another sigh, and she gazed out at the pinpoints of starlight that was all around them. "You behave wherever you are."

* * *

A little drabble that started being about Kaylee and then stopped. Title stays the same because I find it funny. Ha.

I do not own these characters, or receive anything (besides joy) from writing these stories. Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think, if you wouldn't mind!


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